With Argonauts starting quarterback Cleo Lemon suffering a concussion on Sunday, Bell could be about to get his wish.

"I haven't heard any word, but I will be ready if I am (starting)," Bell said taking over from Lemon in a loss to the Edmonton Eskimos in Touchdown Atlantic. "I wanted to get my feet wet, and I wish I could have helped bring the team back."

A subdued Lemon was moving gingerly after the game, and confirmed he suffered a concussion when he was hit by Eskimos linebacker Maurice Lloyd in the fourth quarter.

NOT DOING WELL

"Not too good," Lemon said when asked how he was feeling. "I have a concussion. I am dealing with some issues right now. I will take a look at this week. I don't know what the next step is, but I will talk to the training staff and see what (the prognosis) is."

For what it's worth, and it might mean nothing, running back Cory Boyd appeared to be in a better frame of mind after the game in Vancouver against the B.C. Lions on Sept. 11, when he suffered a concussion. Boyd, who will travel to Georgia to attend the funeral of his close friend, Denver Broncos wide receiver Kenny McKinley on Monday, has not played since, missing two games.

"It's too early to tell," Argos head coach Jim Barker said of Lemon's status.

"He got knocked funny. Who knows? It could be nothing or it could mean that he is out for the year. I have no idea."

Is Barker ready to go with Bell?

"Well, he is our backup quarterback and he is the guy we will go with," Barker said.

Bell's first pass after he relieved Lemon was a 28-yard connection with Chad Owens, and Bell finished 2-for-4 for 43 yards. In his brief time in the game, Bell also was sacked and threw an interception to Edmonton's T.J. Hill.

If he does start on Saturday at the Rogers Centre against the Saskatchewan Roughriders, who happen to be Bell's former team, he will have to shed some rust.

Bell, who saw Lemon get the No. 1 job coming out of training camp despite performing better, has thrown just 10 passes this season.

And how about the possibility of facing the team that traded him to the Argos in March?